This specification provides the definition of the Drawing administration message (CONDRA) to be used in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between trading partners involved in administration, commerce and transport.

The message will be used for the administration of each exchange of a set of engineering/CAD files. It will give additional information about the files; for example, their nature, a list of their contents and technical information necessary to interpret them.

The whole process of exchanging engineering or CAD (Computer Aided Design) files between different parties within projects will be supported by EDIFACT messages. The message CONDRA is one of these messages.

The Drawing administration message may be used for both national and international applications. It is based on universal practice related to administration, commerce and transport, and is not dependent on the type of business or industry.

The following descriptions refer to the exchange of engineering/CAD files, but do not exclude any other type of "native" files, e.g. files originating from software packages and tools like word-processing, spreadsheet, DTP (Desk Top Publishing), graphics and so on.

CONDRA is the EDIFACT message to administer the exchange of engineering/CAD files. The message itself does not consist of any engineering or graphical information. This information will be transferred within files written in existing standard graphical exchange formats or native formats, referred to within the message as external file reference to identify each of these files. The nature of the engineering files and its content is not relevant for the syntax of the EDIFACT message.

All types of engineering/CAD files may be exchanged during a project's life cycle. The naming/structuring conventions, including project organisation and system environments can be defined in the EDIFACT message CONDRO (Drawing Organisation).

CONDRA will refer to the message CONDRO, previously received by the business parties, if there is additional information required about the project organisation, system environment and naming/structuring convention.

A group of segments used for quoting references and their relevant dates applicable to the message. For the building industry the following recommendation is given: in the first occurrence of this segment group the project references, if relevant, can be given, in order to identify the project to which this message relates. In any subsequent recurrence of this segment group, references to other messages (e.g. the original CONDRO when it is an update) or documents, relevant to this message, may be quoted.

A segment for quoting the unique references which can be the project number to which this message is relevant, or, in the case of a reference to another message or document, that message or document's unique identifier.

This segment can contain any textual information relevant to the reference quoted in the previous RFF segment, e.g. a small project or message/document description and/or other narrative, for additional information.

A segment identifying name and address of a party, in coded or clear form, and its function relevant to the Drawing Administration Message. This is to identify each partner involved in the future exchange of CAD files. It is recommended that where possible only the coded form of the party ID should be specified.

This segment group can be used to quote specific references for each partner, that may be needed for internal use. Examples of references that a partner may require are internal project number or a DP number.

This segment specifies the location of the contact specified in the previous CTA segment. In large organisations and construction projects it is possible that persons are not necessarily on the same internal site or construction site specified in the previous LOC segment in segment group 2. This segment also enables the specification of a more accurate internal site location.

A segment giving reference related to the file, identified by the previous EFI segment. This reference number is specific to the sender, and the receivers may be informed about its full meaning through another message (e.g. for the building industry message CONDRO) if this feature is used.

LOC-DIM-MEA-SG7 A group of segments that records more detailed information about the contents of the external engineering/CAD file is identified in the previous EFI segment. This information is organised hierarchically. First, each hierarchy is identified, followed by the type of hierarchy.

This segment conveys quantity details of the level identified in the previous BII segment. This quantity details concern the precision or the number of objects in the lower level, e.g. number of drawing views.

For each of the levels that are identified in the previous BII segment it is possible to refer to other messages/documents on other levels of the structure of the engineering/CAD file identified in the previous EFI segment. It is also possible to refer to other levels which are part of a different engineering/CAD file than the one identified in the previous EFI segment. If needed, here should also be made a reference to a contractual document or to a revision number.

An ID number will be used to refer to either another message/document or to another engineering/CAD file. If needed, here should also be made a reference to a contractual document or to a revision number.

This segment group will be used when a reference is made to another specific level in the structure of an engineering/CAD file. If in the previous RFF segment a standard dummy value is quoted, the level referred to is part of the engineering/CAD file identified in the previous EFI segment. If, however, in the previous RFF segment any other value is quoted, the level described in the following BII segment is part of the engineering/CAD file identified by the ID number.